Tattered Wings
by bubblycherries
Summary: Gale Royce has been through it all, a hatefull father, a broken mother. One night changed it all, what happens when her past comes bak to haunt her? Will this nightingale repair her tattered wings and learn to fly or will she crumble in the seams? (Warning: domestic abuse and later suicide)
1. Chapter 1- The Beginning

Chapter 1

"Bennett…..please… don't do this…." Karen pleaded. "It's three o'clock in the morning, can't this wait till tomorrow?" Karen grabbed a pan to defend herself, but nothing can save her from what's going to happen. An angry voice ripped the pan out of her hand and smacked her with it. "Can it woman, I need to think!" Bennett lit a cigarette and started smoking. "Is this what you do all day!?" snarled Bennett. "I work all day to support you and the kid, and you just whine and complain! Get up NOW." Karen started stumbling on her feet begging and pleading for him to stop.

Under the kitchen table Gale was hiding from her father and watched helplessly as her mother started bleeding. Bennett started pounding on his wife, ignoring all of her crying. Bennett heard whimpering from under the table. He slowly made his way towards the table; he grabbed Gale by the hair and started pulling her out. "Look what we have here." He taunted. "Come to join your mother?" Bennett started to beat his daughter; he hit his hardest at the unhealed bruises, created by his previous beatings. "Daddy, please stop it hurts, please." Gale tried to get away but failed to escape. Karen started to speak but her voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "Bennett…please she's only a child."

Karen started to get up, using a chair for support. She started charging towards her husband. Bennett fell into the closet, Karen slammed the door shut, holding the knob, preventing him from coming out. "Take the phone Gale; get out of here, run, and get help!" Karen yelled. Bennett started banging on the door, Karen started to loose hold of the door. "Gale, run now!" Gale took the home phone and started running. She opened the window and went down the fire escape. "Bennett stop, that's enough." Gale then heard her mother scream. Then there was silence. Gale hid in the alleys between two apartments a block away from hers. She started dialing 911:

_911, what's your emergency?_

They're fighting, make them stop.

_Who's fighting? Hello? Where are you?_

I'm Gale, my mommy and daddy is fighting. There is a lot of blood, mommy said to find help. Can you help me?

_Yes sweetie we will help, what's your address? _

~Gale told the operator her address and where she was hiding. ~

~Sometime Later~

"Hello? Gale, this is Officer Hecox, I'm here to help you." Gale peeked out to see a woman officer holding a flashlight. "Gale if you can hear me come out, no one is going to hurt you, not anymore." Gale walked towards the officer. Officer Hecox stared at the girl, her ponytail was messy and her face full of bruises. Her pajamas covered in dirt and she was clutching the phone. "I'm Gale, are you really going to help?" Gale's eyes started to water. "My mommy needs help." Officer Hecox bend down to reach Gale's height. "Come on Gale let's take you home." Officer Hecox reached for Gale's hand but she pulled away. "No! I will not go back, _he's_ there!" Gale started to cry. "Please don't take me back, please." The officer took off her jacket and placed it on Gale's shoulders. "The police are already there, nothing bad is going to happen, I promise." Officer Hecox offered her hand to Gale, and she took it.

Back at the apartment, Gale saw cops everywhere, as Officer Hecox promised. Karen is being taken away in a stretcher; a stab wound is on her shoulder and leg, she is unconscious. Officer Hecox covered Gale's eyes with her hand, but Gale had seen it all. A moment after Bennett is being escorted out in hand cuffs. He looked if he had been beaten up by the cops. Shortly after, Commissioner Gordon appeared and started to ask questions:

_Hello I'm Commissioner Gordon; I wanted to ask you a couple of questions. What's your name sweetie?_

I'm Gale Royce, sir.

_Oh, so you're the brave little girl who called for help. How old are you?_

I'm six years old, sir.

The commissioner started writing everything down. _ The adults in the house are your parents?_

Yes sir, they are my mommy and daddy.

_And the bruises-  
_Daddy hits me and mommy.

The commissioner stopped asking questions and went to talked with other officers. Officer Hecox told Gale to stay put and went to talk to the other officers as well. The commissioner and officer came back quickly. "Gale, do you have any relatives you can stay with for the night?" Officer Hecox asked her. Gale thought for a moment before she started to speak. "Daddy's family lives far away and mommy can't talk to her family anymore." Commissioner Gordon gave Gale a puzzling look. "Gale, did she told you that?" Gale shook her head. "Daddy told her she couldn't anymore." The commissioner sighed and started to talk privately with Officer Hecox. "Does your mother have any family in Gotham?" said Officer Hecox. "I think she does, she said something about an aunt once."

They continue to talk in private.

"Where can you sleep for the night?" asked Commissioner Gordon. "Commissioner, she can stay with me for the night." Officer Hecox piped in. "Megan, don't get attach-"Officer Hecox scoffed "It will be fine, it's just for one night." The commissioner took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Fine, fine, but I warned you. Don't get attach, it will only get in the way of your work."

"I guess you will be sleeping at my place tonight." Officer Hecox told Gale. "It will be fun, just like a sleepover." Gale kept staring at the officer and started to cry. "Hey Gale, what's wrong?" She bend down and gave her a tissue. "I'm tired and scared; I don't want him to hurt me anymore." Officer Hecox hugged Gale. "As long as I'm here I will protect you." Gale sniffled and croaked "Really, pinky promise?" Gale put out her pinky, the officer pinky promised.

** A: N- So what do you think? The story will take place more in the future. This chapter is post Batman (no this does not take place in the trilogy's movies.)** **_Batman will appear in later chapters_. Please comment and review, all types of comments are welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2- A Warm Welcome

**Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter it's been a pleasure writing this if you have ****any**** questions or comments please review, criticism is welcome. Once** **again, enjoy.**

* * *

Officer Hecox patrol car pulled up in an apartment in the "good" side of Gotham. The young officer carried a sleeping Gale into the building. The elevator door had caution tape that formed an 'X' covering the two doors, and an _'Out of Order'_ sign place crookedly in the middle.

"Great," she mumbled quietly under her breath. The young officer carried Gale two flights of stairs, into her apartment. She crept through the hallway and into her room, careful not to wake the sleeping child, with the creaking of the wooden floor boards. She placed Gale in her bed, tucked her in and slowly walked out. Megan Hecox's day was finally over. The phone rang, it was the commissioner:

_Officer Hecox?_

This is Officer Hecox speaking.

_Megan, how's the girl?_

Gale? She's doing fine, sir.

_Good. So far I haven't found any of her family members to take her in._

So, she doesn't have any other family members?

_No, that's not the case, no one is willing to take her in._

What? That's insane! This girl has no where else to go!

_I know, so she might have to stay with you for the day, and a home by tomorrow._

A home, like a foster home?

_Yes, her mother is unstable for the moment._

Unstable? What do you mean? Like... insane?

_Sad, but true, nearly eight years of abuse has gotten to her head. She's been screaming non stop since she came to the hospital._

sounds of screaming are in the background

Are you there right now? Can she see her daughter?

_Yes I am here right now at the moment, and it's too early to tell if she can see Gale._

Wow, poor girl, all this change in only one night.

_Yeah, it's late, you should get some sleep. Goodbye_

Goodnight commissioner.

Megan rubbed her eyes, the clock read: 3:43 a.m. She yawned, slowly walked to the couch and drifted off the sleep.

* * *

Gale woke up, the unfamiliar surroundings scared her. She yearn for her mother and for the comfort of her own bed. She turned to find a clock, the clock that sat on the edge of the end table, which read: 10:31 a.m. She plopped out off the warm bed and everything from the night before came back to her, as soon as her feet touch the cold ground. Gale opened the door and took a peek outside but saw nothing. A strong scent of pancakes filled the air. The officer from the night before approached her. "Hey sleepy head, you're hungry?" Gale stared blankly at her. The young officer smiled warmly, "If that's a yes, follow me." Gale stood there for a while before following her. She followed her to a small kitchen filled with stacks of pancakes.

"I think I went overboard with all the pancakes, I don't know if you like pancakes, do you like pancakes?" Gale nodded slowly as a stack of pancakes where placed in front of her. "Thank you Officer..." Gale timidly said. "Hecox- " The young officer finished for her," But you can all me Megan." Gale nodded and ate quietly. The pancakes where warm and fluffy, coated with syrup. After two pancakes and a glass of chocolate milk, Megan causally brought up last night.

"Gale- I hate to do this, but we need to go down to the police station and talk, you know- about last night.." Gale looked down at her lap, and played with her fingers. "Gale," Megan went on, " you know what is going to happen, do you?" Gale finally spoke:

" I know, you're going to talk to me about my father and mommy." Gale paused. "Where is mommy, I want to see her, now please." Megan remained quiet. How can a person actually talk to a six year old about this? She started: "Listen sweetie, I don't know when you can actually see your mommy, but I promise, I will be soon."

* * *

At the police station Gale didn't say a word, she refused to speak until she saw her mother."Gale please, we need to know what you know," Commissioner Gordon tiredly stated." How can we help you if you won't talk to us?" Gale stood up and walk towards the door. "I want to see my mother." Gale walked out the commissioner's office.

"Stubborn kid." he grumbled. "I liked it better when she didn't talked at all." Megan sighed, "You don't mean that, look this is what I'll do, I will take her to see her mother, and after that I'll ask her questions." The commissioner paced for a while. "Fine, sure, whatever, remember don't get-" Megan headed towards the door, "To attached, yeah yeah." This was going to be a long day.

* * *

At the hospital Gale sat in the waiting room her legs swaying back and forth waiting for her name to be called. The sounds of the hospital were sad and depressing. Gale wanted to leave more than anything, but her mother comes first. Officer Hecox comforted her but no words can help her now. A nurse walked towards them. "Gale Royce? You can see you mother now."


End file.
